202 ORGANIC BASES. 



Chocolate owes its value to tlieobromine, an allialoid contained in 

 cacao. It has been lately found tliat iodide of methyl digested with 

 theobromine for some time in a sealed tube, at the temperature of boil- 

 ing water, will convert it into theine. 



The excellent effect of pure meat broth on the system is due to krea- 

 tine and kreatinine, two bases contained in meat. Broth, therefore, 

 belongs to the same class as tea, coffee, and chocolate, and it certainly 

 deserves the preference when the system of the sick person requires a 

 stimulating and strengtheniug beverage. 



Some organic bases have obtained a prominent place in the chemical 

 arts. It is only necessary to mention Jcyanole or aniline, which is ob- 

 tained in large quantities from coal-tar, aud is used in the manufacture 

 of the finest colors. Aniline red is the chloride or acetate'of rosaniline, 

 a colorless base obtained from aniline. Aniline violet must also be con- 

 sidered as an aniline base. 



Two artificial bases, the amid bases of ethyl and methyl, which but 

 lately had merely been preserved in chemical collections as interesting 

 and rare substances, are now used instead of ammonia, in Carre's ice 

 apparatus, in the artificial production of ice. 



The description of the individual members of this extensive series of 

 organic bases or alkaloids could be considerably extended if our time 

 permitted, and if I did not fear to fatigue my hearers. 



As I mentioned in my introduction, organic bases were a terra incog- 

 nita to chemists "half a century ago. As you probably have gleaned 

 from my remarks, chemists have since diligently labored to explore this 

 region ; but whenever they had succeeded in scaling a height, from 

 which they hoped to obtain a general view of what they had investigat- 

 ed, new and ever greater fields opened to their astonished eyes — fields 

 whose exploration will require the most diligent efforts of chemists for 

 many years. 



Just as in the discovery of a new country the value of which the people 

 realize only when the plowshare has turned the new soil and when its treas- 

 ures have begun to circulate in the great commercial veins and arteries 

 of the world, it happens with our organic bases, which are generally 

 appreciated only as far as they are useful to commerce', the arts, or 

 medicine. 



Let us not forget, however, gentlemen, that as the treasures of the 

 mountains of California and the products of India would never have en- 

 riched our country if it had not been for indefatigable travelers, who 

 wandered through unknown countries, impelled by a pure love of knowl- 

 edge. So we also owe our acquaintance with the organic bases to purely 

 unselfish and scientific investigations, which have taught us that 

 nothing is useless in science — a truth written in conspicuous letters on 

 every page of the book of nature, aud which can only fail to be read 

 by the grossest ignorance. 



